Off The Bricks

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! In this episode, we discuss selections from the collaborative works of Lylanne Musselman and Mary Sexson, who have both previously been featured on the pod, (Ep. 36 & 10!). Today we are discussing their works, Marriage Maps and Driven Destinies and Company of Women. If you enjoyed today's program consider joining Brick Street Poetry's Monthly in-person poetry events hosted by today's guest, Mary Sexson! We are at the Sullivan Munce Cultural Center in Zionsville, Indiana on the first Thursday of each month, see our Facebook page for more details.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! On this episode, Brick Street Poetry Board Member Joyce Brinkman interviews Marjory Wentworth to celebrate the upcoming total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th. to find Marjory's work click here.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and Poetry lovers! Our first podcast of 2024 features the new book "Homecomings: A Writer's Memoir".  In it, poet Norbert Krapf shares poems from the book and talks with host Joyce Brinkman about the three areas that have influenced his work over his long career. A prolific writer Norbert writes from the influences of his Franconian German ancestry, his long career teaching and living in New York, and his 'homecoming" to his birth state where he served as its second, official poet laureate. The memoir, published by the Indiana Historical Society Press, may be purchased HERE

Welcome to Off the Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! This month we have poet and physicist Samuel Peralta with us to share his astronomically themed poetry. We have linked Peralta's Amazon page here . This week's natural moment poem is The Freedom of the Moon by Robert Frost.

Welcome to Off the Bricks poets and poetry lovers! This month's guest is Patricia Clark. Patricia is the author of six volumes of poetry, including The Canopy and, before that, Sunday Rising. She has also published three chapbooks: Deadlifts (New Michigan Press), Wreath for the Red Admiral and Given the Trees. Her work has been featured on Poetry Daily and Verse Daily, and has appeared in The Atlantic, Gettysburg Review, Poetry, Slate, and Stand. She was a scholar at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference and has completed residencies at The MacDowell Colony, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Tyrone Guthrie Center (in County Monaghan (Ireland), and the Ragdale Colony. Awards for her work include a Creative Artist Grant in Michigan, the Mississippi Review Prize, the Gwendolyn Brooks Prize, and co-winner of the Lucille Medwick Prize from the Poetry Society of America. From 2005-2007 she was honored to serve as the poet laureate of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was Poet-in-Residence and Professor in the Department of Writing at Grand Valley State University in Michigan where she worked for thirty years. you can find her contact info at www.patriciafclark.com.

Our Natural moment poem today is The Milky Way, by Kathryn Sadakierski

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! This month we feature Indiana poet Lylanne Musselman. Author of six chapbooks as well as a set of long-form poetry, today we focus on her newest chapbook Staring Dementia in the Face. Which explores the day-to-day realities of caring for her mother with dementia.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! This month we feature Indianapolis poet Bonnie Maurer, reading from her new book, "The Poem Stands on its Head by the Window", which she began as a creative renewal fellow, through the Indy Arts Council with funding from the Lilly endowment. This fellowship granted her the opportunity to study in Poland. you can find her book for purchase here at the finishinglinepress.com.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! This month we feature Karen George. George is the author of five chapbooks, most recently the collaborative ekphrastic Frame and Mount the Sky, and three collections from Dos Madres Press: Swim Your Way Back (2014), A Map and One Year (2018), and Where Wind Tastes Like Pears (2021). She's been nominated for Pushcart Prizes and won Slippery Elm’s 2022 poetry contest. Her short story collection, How We Fracture, which won the Rosemary Daniell Fiction Prize, is forthcoming from Minerva Rising Press in Fall 2023. Her poetry appears in Tipton Poetry Journal, Indianapolis Review, Valparaiso Poetry Review, Ekphrastic Poetry Review, Sheila-Na-Gig, Cultural Daily, and Poet Lore. Her website is linked here. Today we hear selections of Karen's works including a cento, found poems, and dream poems.

Welcome to a special episode of Off The Bricks poets and poetry lovers! In this episode, we feature Thomas Kneeland, Editor-in-Chief of The Elevation Review. The Elevation Review is an internationally-recognized, biannual journal of poetry. This month's episode focuses on tips from the editor on getting your poetry published as well as beating writer's block! Click here for The Elevation Review submittable link. https://theelevationreview.submittable.com/submit

Welcome, to Off the Bricks poets and poetry lovers! In this episode guest poet, Jessica Thompson reads poems from her nature-filled book of narrative poetry, "Daybreak and Deep". Jessica uses her connections with nature to examine experiences of loss and grief and as inspiration for being in a state of wakefulness about life. Click here to find Daybreak and Deep for sale.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, Poets, and Poetry lovers! This week we are featuring the geological poetry of Katy Didden! Didden focuses her newest work on the perspective of Icelandic lava flows, and their destructive and creative powers. Didden allows the source materials of various Icelandic texts and refrences  to be revealed through that which the lava covers in her gorgeous new book, Ore Choir: The Lava on Iceland. Featured first, her poem in the cold open references an interview of Bjork conducted by Mathias Augustynaik and Michael Amzalg to be featured in Interview Magazine from 2009.

Welcome to Off The Bricks, poets and poetry lovers! Today's program features David Allan Evans, the former Poet Laureate of South Dakota. David is a longtime, stalwart voice of midwestern poetry. David shares poems that trace his writing from his earliest work about sports through his experiences with Asian poetry teaching in China to ekphrastic collaborations with a visual artist. Learn more about Mr. Evans' work here.

Welcome to Off The Bricks poets and poetry lovers! This month we have a Holiday special episode for listeners young and young at heart, featuring poetry read by some of the poets from Brick Street Poetry's new children's book, What I See I Can Be! A book for children to explore occupations that might be of interest to them as they think about what they want to do when they are a grownup! Thank you for joining us, Off The Bricks!

Welcome to Off The Bricks poets and poetry lovers! Today Hiromi Yoshida joins us to discuss her works in her book Epicanthus. Yoshida seeks to generate cultural, and ethnic understanding through her poetry through the use of culturally pervasive symbols, as well as process the traumatic experiences of her childhood and synthesizes her immigration experience. You can find Yoshida's work on Amazon and Facebook. Thank you for joining us, Off The Bricks!

Today we welcome J.L. Kato, who was recently honored by Indiana Humanities, as the first Glick Literary Champion Award recipient. J.L. shares his experience as a Japanese American, and the experience of his fellow creatives through the expression of his poetry. You can find J.L. on Facebook and learn more about his recent award by clicking here. In addition to his recent award, Kato has served as the past president of Etheridge knight  Inc. and Brick Street Poetry, as well as serving as the cofounder and curator of Poetry in Free Motion, a project that combined quilting and poetry. His moderation and participation in the Poetry Salon encouraged community poets to improve their writing and critique skills. Although currently out of print, you can refer to this link for limited copies of J.L.'s work at Tim & Company's Another Fine Mess.

Welcome to Off The Bricks poets and poetry lovers! This month, we welcome poet Mark Neely as he shares his multidimensional poetry. His latest book of poetry, Ticker, explores the continuity of life and features a dynamic formatting style. Neely's poetry is available for purchase on his personal website, as well as at your local bookstore. Additionally, Neely will be reading at Poetry on Brick Street at The Sullivan Munce Cultural Center, in Zionsville, Indiana on November 3rd at 7 pm. We hope to see you there poets and poetry lovers!

Welcome to Off The Bricks!, poets and poetry lovers. Today we continue our series on publishing your poetry which started with Ep. 20 Barry Harris (scroll on down to give that episode a listen while you're here today!) Our guest this month is Mary Brown, Poetry Editor of The Flying Island Journal! join us today as we discuss what to avoid and what you should be sure to do before submitting your poetry to any journal for publication. you can learn more about the publication by clicking Here.

Join us today, poets and poetry lovers to hear a selection of ecologically themed poetry from Jessica Reed. In her chapbook, Still Recongnizeable Forms, Reed takes on the responsibility of discussing environmentalism, without the typical doom and gloom that the topic is usually weighed down by. Our conversation explores environmental experiences within the Midwest and Appalachia and the importance of not losing sight of what we are fighting for, and who we are fighting with, in our efforts to reduce our impact on the world. Reed's limited edition chapbook can be purchased by emailing tlr@mwmissouri.edu.

Join us today poets and poetry lovers, for an intimate conversation with Alessandra Lynch as we discuss running, how Covid-19 has impacted interpersonal connection, and other challenging topics related to the human condition. Lynch's acclaimed work, Daylily Called It a Dangerous Moment, is available on Amazon, and according to Lynch herself, "Let your fingers fly, or let your hands steer a wheel, and you will find my book somewhere!". Particularly in local book stores, in-person and online, as well as at your local library.

Join us today to discuss translation in poetry, the delicate art of balancing rhythm, meaning, and rhyme. Today's episode features Karen Kovacik, a former Indiana poet laureate specializing in the translation of contemporary Polish poetry. To learn more about Karen and her work, click here to visit her personal site. Kovacik's works can be found for purchase online Metropolis Burning, Beyond the Velvet Curtain.

Join us today for a special mini-episode, recorded during a live reading of Haiku for Hikers. Today, our featured poets are M.A. Dubbs, Janine Harrison, and Nancy Kay Peterson. This episode is more casual than our regularly scheduled programming. If you like what you hear, let us know on Facebook @poetryonbrickstreet, there you can also look for more online events like this live reading, and get the latest updates on the podcast and other in-person events with Brick Street Poetry! you can find a copy of Haiku for Hikers here on amazon, and we'll see you, Off The Bricks!

Welcome to a special episode of Off The Bricks poets and poetry lovers! In this episode, we feature Barry Harris, Editor of the Tipton Poetry Journal. This month's episode focuses on tips from the editor on getting your poetry published! This Episode features the poetic works of Bilal Moin (Papercut), and Jeanine Stevens (Sunchokes). This Month's Natural Moment Poem is Wish, by Joseph Heithaus. To buy the Tipton Poetry Journal online click here. To submit to the Journal click here.

Today we welcome poet Kevin McKelvey who joins us to share his ecological, biological, and geological poetry. McKelvey is a place-based poet, writer, designer, and social practice artist. He teaches at the University of Indianapolis and directs the MA in Social Practice Art. His first book, Dream Wilderness Poems, is a poetic trail guide for the Deam Wilderness Area near Bloomington that represents years of exploration in the Hoosier National Forest. Other poems are collected in Indiana Nocturnes, a collaboration on Indiana’s urban and rural divide with another native Hoosier, Curtis L. Crisler. McKelvey has been a writer-in-residence in the Long-Term Ecological Reflections program at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon and at Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior. This inspired him to bring this model to Indiana, working with local land trusts to create annual, centuries-long creative and scientific reflections on natural areas, including NICHES Land Trust and ACRES Land Trust. His work in novels, essays, social practice, and placemaking continues to explore the intersections of art, writing, ecology, gardening, food, and farming. McKelvey attended DePauw University in Greencastle and completed his MFA in Poetry and Creative Writing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Today we welcome poet Marianne Boruch who joins us to share her multidimensional and densely vibrant poetry which celebrates the unique animal life of Australia! Boruch reads from her new book Bestiary Dark, and shares her experiences from her time in Australia as a Fulbright Scholar. Boruch Earned her MFA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, And went on to teach at Tunghai University in Taiwan, and at the University of Maine in Farmington. Today, she is a Professor Emeritus at Purdue University after developing and bringing to life the MFA program of creative writing there.  You can find Boruch’s publications for sale here as well as learn more about her work, on the Copper Canyon Press website.

Today Gabriele Glang joins us for the 16th episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as Glang discusses her experience with grief from the loss of her husband. Glang is a Bilingual poet who writes in both German and English, and among her multiple publications has also been teaching creative writing in English at the University of Applied Sciences at Esslingen. You can visit Glang's website here. Today's natural moment poem can be found in Haiku for Hikers, and was written by Alessio Zanelli

Today we welcome Elise Paschen as she joins us for the fifteenth episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as Elise reads selected poems from her newest long poem sequence that celebrates her Osage heritage in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Hailing from Chicago with ancestral ties to Fairfax, Oklahoma, Elise brings the history and landscape of the Osage reservation into vibrant resolution in her currently in-progress manuscript, Heritage of The Blood Wolf Moon. Her website is available here. The music featured in today's natural moment is Warrior Flute by Tommy Wildcat at the Smithsonian's Cherokee Days (2017) available in full here.

Today we are featuring our very own Joyce Brinkman as she debuts her most recent international collaboration, Catena Poetica. This collaborative effort was created in part by Flor Aguilera, Joyce Brinkman, Gabriele Glang, and Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda. Today's discussion centers on the form of the chapbook, the art of collaboration, and the creation of international poetry. Our Natural Moment poem for the month is a haiku by Tony Brewer and can be found in Haiku for Hikers. You can find the Catena Poetica chapbook for preorder by clicking here.

Today we are featuring a delightful discussion between American Poet Dr. Norbert Krapf and German Poet Dr. Helmut Haberkamm concerning dialect poetry. Krapf is a Fulbright Fellow in American Poetry at the Universities of Freiburg and Erlangen-Nuremberg, where he met our second guest Helmut Haberkamm. Dr. Haberkamm writes extensively in the Franconian dialectic. The conversation touches on subjects from James Whitcomb Riley to Bob Dylan with lots in between. www.krapfpoetry.net Our Natural Moment poem for the month is Reverence by Pheonix Cole.

Today Linda Neal Rising joins us for the 11th episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as Rising discusses her poetry and how it has been informed by her experiences growing up a member of the Western Cherokee Nation, as well as the personal experiences of her parents which inform her political affiliations and activism. Rising has published multiple books of poetry including The Keeping which are available for sale on Amazon here.

Today Mary Sexson joins us for the 10th episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as Sexson discusses her experiences with her daughter's addiction and shares the poetry that she wrote to manage her emotions during the course of her recovery. Sexson has been published multiple times and most recently has released work on the pandemic that was published through the Indianapolis Writers Center publication What Was and Will Be, with her poem, “Close”, being choreographed by Dance Kaleidoscope (November 2020). Some of Sexson's work is available for purchase on Amazon here and her personal website can be found here.

Today Katie Hesterman joins us for our 9th episode of Off The Bricks! Young poets all around should listen in as Katie reads poetry from her new book, A Round of Robins, an informational and playful collection of poems about robins. Our special guest interviewer today is Sammy the interviewing Toucan, a local bird who is excited to learn all about her cousins the robins today. Katie's website can be found at katiehesterman.com, and to plan a visit to the Indiana Young Readers Center go to www.in.gov/library/iyrc/

Today Matthew Graham joins us for our eighth episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as Indiana's newest poet laureate discusses his poetry which explores the geography of home. Graham's poetry incorporates his travels to Ireland, and shares his love of music and language that conveys themes of home. Learn more about Graham at https://indianahumanities.org/protest-and-pandemic-matthew-graham-2.

Today we welcome Shonda Buchanan as she joins us for the sixth episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as Shonda discusses her tri-racial and tri-ethnic heritage and identity, a combination of African American, American Indian, and European-descendant families who migrated from North Carolina and Virginia in the mid-1700 to 1800s to Southwestern Michigan, and the poetry that she uses to honor and better understand them. Shonda's poetry, including her book Who's Afraid of Black Indians?, is available at https://shondabuchanan.com/books/ in addition to her other works. 

Today we welcome Rebecca Kai Dotlich as she joins us for the fourth episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as Rebecca reads many of her original works which are geared for children of all ages! This episode is primarily poetry reading as Dotlich brings everyone, regardless of age, into the whimsical and detailed world of children’s poetry. You can find Mrs. Dotlich’s work on her website here.

For ease of navigation, we have included the timestamps for each poem read in the episode.

A Circle of Sun - 00:17

Race Car - 04:28

Riddle Poem (1) - 05:45

Riddle Poem (2) - 06:54

School Story - 08:00

Jump Rope Rhyme Poem - 09:32

Sea Skip - 10:09

Tucking in Song - 11:20

Whispers to the Wall  - 13:02

Firefly - 15:07

Fireworks - 16:02

Skyscraper - 17:08

Museum Farewell - 19:06

Today Joseph Heithaus joins us for the third episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as we discuss Joe's poetry writing process, learn how he conceptualizes poetry, and hear a few insights into finding inspiration for your own lyrical work. Among these lessons are select readings from Joe's book of poetry, Library of My Hands. You can find more poetry and musings from Mr. Heithaus on his website, and find his book for sale on his publisher's website, Dos Madres Press at dosmadres.com.

Today Eugene Gloria joins us for our second episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as we discuss Gloria’s recent receipt of the Indiana Authors Award in Poetry and discuss how his Filipino heritage has informed his poetry. You can find Gloria’s work on his website and find his books that we discussed on the program, Sightseer in This Killer City, and My Favorite Warlord, on Barnes & Noble shelves.

Today Norbert Krapf joins us for our first episode of Off The Bricks! Listen in as we discuss writing poetry of place, and hear selected poems from Norbert's body of work. You can find Norbert's work on his website, and on his publisher's website, Dos Madres Press.

Our first episode will be released on September 17th and can be found on our website, www.brickstreetpoetry.org.